🎯 Challenge: parting_ways

🏆 CTF@AC
📢 Category: Osint
💯 Points: 162
📊 Solves: 24
👤 Author: iseline27424
👤 Solver: ArghgrA/CuboConNoveQuadrati

📝 Challenge Description

In the ancient kingdom of the Teutons there was a fortress with 71 noble houses. And hidden beneath one of these houses were two brothers. These two brothers, quarreling over the inheritance of their parents’ wealth, each chose to go out into the world to seek their fate. But, wishing to remember the place from which each had departed, they decided to divide into three branches. Now the three branches form a bridge of passage between the inhabitants of the fortress. Where did the two brothers part ways? Flag format: CTF{town_name} (case insensitive and ascii characters only)

📁 Files: IMAGE.jpg

Challenge provided image

📁 Challenge image (IMAGE.jpg)

🔗 Link: https://ctf.ac.upt.ro/challenges#parting_ways-39

🔍 Initial Reconnaissance

The challenge provides an image file named IMAGE.jpg. The objective is to identify the city where the image was taken.

⚠️ The image likely contains visual clues (landmarks, signs, landscape) that can be used for geolocation.

🛠️ Analysis and Solution

🔑 Step 1: Reverse Image Search

The first phase of the investigation was to verify the origin of the photograph through a reverse image search on Yandex Images. This approach is logical for OSINT challenges.

Yandex Images Search: uploading IMAGE.jpg

After various attempts, I managed to find an identical or very similar shot.

🔍 Yandex Images often provides better results than Google Images for this type of reverse searches.

Yandex reverse search

Kolwnweltenburgview.jpg

🎯 Step 2: Source Identification

From there I followed the link that leads to the site where the image is hosted, namely Wikimedia Commons:

File found: Kolwnweltenburgview.jpg on Wikimedia Commons

The name of the file itself – Kolwnweltenburgview.jpg – provides an important first clue: it refers to Weltenburg, a locality known for its Benedictine monastery located along the Danube.

💡 Key Insight: The filename "Kolwnweltenburgview.jpg" contains explicit geographical references that guide towards the location of Weltenburg in Germany.

🌍 Step 3: Geographic Verification with Google Earth

At this point I deepened the research using Google Earth, to compare the landscape visible in the image with the real geography of the area.

Google Earth: search "Weltenburg Germany" + surrounding landscape analysis

The analysis allowed me to precisely identify the position, located near the hamlet of Stausacker (Kelheim, Germany).

Location: Stausacker, hamlet of Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany

Reference links used for verification:

🚩 Step 4: Flag Extraction

Having identified the location as Stausacker in Kelheim, Germany, the name of the "beach" (or more accurately, the specific area/landmark) is "Stausacker". According to the flag format, we submit the name of the location.

CTF{Stausacker}

📚 Lessons Learned

🔗 References

🏆 © 2025 - Writeup created by ArghgrA/CuboConNoveQuadrati | Happy hacking! 🔍